Senior Communications Officer needed in Swinton £22 Contract Full Time

Short-term support for day-to-day project work with a focus on public relations and media enquiries. 

About the role

• A key role in delivering the council’s communications strategy, building and strengthening relationships with local, regional and national stakeholders and media to promote the positive image of Salford as a place to invest and do business.
• Lead the strategic proactive planning and delivery of communications and PR plans, including preparing, managing and evaluating plans to meet goals and objectives, working closely with other members of the Communications Team.
• Create and realise opportunities to enhance the council and city’s reputation with strategic stakeholders and their influencers..
• Advise and support colleagues, partners and elected members with strategic communications to key audiences and stakeholders, including the digital and print media and thought leaders.
• Support the development of digital audience communications based on understanding and targeting of audiences, including preparing news content for websites and e-bulletins.
• Monitor traditional and all forms of digital and social media to identify stories and commentary that is relevant to in order to engage journalists and external stakeholders
• Manage media enquiries, handling them in a timely and accurate manner and ensuring appropriate approvals.
• Undertake data analysis, analytics, research and evaluation in support of the council’s overall communications business priorities and communications strategies.
• Support and give communications advice to the political and officer leadership, elected members, and officers on public relations and reputational management.
• Develop plans and activities in line with best practice and current legislation including codes of practice and data use.
• Ensure consistency in all communications to support council and place key messages, narratives and brand values to promote and uphold the reputation of the council, City Mayor and Salford as a place, locally, regionally and nationally.
• Support the delivery of an out of office hours service, acting as lead officer in emergencies as required, including working out of office hours and at weekends when needed.

 
Key outcomes
• Lead on the development and implementation of PR planning, delivery and evaluation using intelligence to develop and evaluate key milestones and outcomes.
• Effectively deliver a multi skilled integrated approach, flexibly able to meet the demands of the service to the highest standard
• Continuously develop and improve systems and ways of working to provide an effective service
• Manage relationships with partners to develop shared and collaborative plans
• Produce thought provoking content, in the form of events, comments, features and stories.
• Effectively develop relationships with key stakeholders and influencers, including identifying opportunities to enhance activities and meet city and organisational objectives
• Provide performance and evaluation data on activities and develop evidence-based approaches
• Provide high quality strategic advice to senior leaders including the council’s political leadership
• Input into and delivery of the annual communications planning whilst responding to emerging priorities at a city and regional level.

What we need from you
• Committed to modelling and reflecting our values and behaviours..
• Able to define and agree deliverable objectives, milestones and outcomes to focus on key priorities
• A high level of understanding and practice in communications planning skills – able to agree and set objectives, target audiences, define messages and develop digitally-led approaches, ensuring evaluation is delivered
• Proven communications skills and expertise with a record of accomplishment for delivering outcomes and providing enthusiasm and credible trusted advice in public relations
• Able to influence, to agree goals with colleagues and partners to develop effective collaborative approaches
• Proven ability to effective and productive relationships with internal teams, leaders, stakeholders, influencers and media
• Able to take both creative and intelligence-led approaches, looking for opportunities to advance communications and strategic plans
• Systems knowledge: Microsoft Office package skills. Ability to use email campaign management tools, media software, social media management tools, content management systems and image and video editing tools.